Did you take part in 1950 Raleigh Hill traffic census?

SIR - I was recently reading an old diary of mine and found that I was involved in a three-day Traffic Survey from Friday, Aug 11 to Sunday Aug 13, 1950 at Raleigh Hill from 9-12 and again from 5-10. We had to ask 3 questions: 1, Where are you from? 2,

SIR - I was recently reading an old diary of mine and found that I was involved in a three-day Traffic Survey from Friday, Aug 11 to Sunday Aug 13, 1950 at Raleigh Hill from 9-12 and again from 5-10.

We had to ask 3 questions: 1, Where are you from? 2, Where are you going? 3, Are you stopping in Bideford?

On the Saturday it poured with rain most of the day and I was like a drowned rat. I lived in Appledore and was given a lift by someone called Arthur Whitlock who was on the same shift. We were paid �1 a day and, on the last evening, I received �3..6..2d which included an extra 5/= for 'getting wet yesterday'.

As far as I can remember, we didn't have any breaks. but stood at the roadside waiting for a car - not very many in 1950!

I may have taken sandwiches and a flask, but I cannot remember the details - it was 60 years ago! My vision of where the survey took place is more like the bottom of Orchard Hill than Raleigh Hill, but I may be wrong. Were any of your readers also involved in that Traffic Survey? If so, do they remember why it was being carried out?

Cynthia Snowden, Northam.